And when you are done looking at this site for the Scots input on football world-wide, here are two more.
For those who literally want to trace on the ground the local development of Scots and Scottish football in our own and other countries there is the newly available and ever-expanding site of:
The Scots Football Historians' Group
And on Scottish sports history in general but inevitably including fitba', see Andy Mitchell's inestimable:
“Struth was at the top of the club but day to day fitness was in the hands of the trainers.”
“Weather permitting, training at Ibrox started with a brisk mile's walk around the track in shirt sleeves with Struth's expert athletic eye - he had been a professional sprinter - watching for faults in gait or step.”
“Playing for Rangers was easy - you were surrounded by good players and they helped you play. You were weaned in the method of play.”
“handed down from generation to generation. You were introduced to a system and the first team players told you what to do. If you didn't you wouldn't last long.”
“It was more the spirit of the club that the captain instilled. You couldn't tell a bloke how to play football in those days because that was all you did so it was natural talent that came to the top and so it was case of getting the players mentally together and dovetailing them together.”
“Simple things were drummed in - throw-ins should always be used to pressure the opposition - “no-one can be offside at a throw-in.””
“At Ibrox we swung on the pivot of the centre half. Left half tracks back - the right half went forward - the same thing happened up front - if the left side went back the right side was up.”
“out on the skip on a Thursday night”
“God help the team you will be playing next week.”
“he’d position himself at the tunnel to shake a hand or clap a shoulder as the players went out and leave them with the same last thought that became his mantra - “Every post is the winning post.” What he meant was that every free kick, every restart, every move should be played at full pelt as if it was your last or your only opportunity.”
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